Why is Microsoft doing Surface Go?

via:博客园 time:2018/7/11 14:12:12 readed:544

After a failed Surface 3 and a Surface mini that was hit into the cold, Surface Go is more like a repositioning.

The name of the most popular mobile game "Pokemon Go" is very high, just like the meaning of "Go", even if you have not touched this series of players, it will probably "and you~" ; such scenes are linked together.

On Microsoft's latest product launch. We can see the shadow of the past product at a glance: the same two-in-one structure, the same bracket hinge, which makes it look like a smaller version of the Surface Pro, the most obvious difference is probably four more curvature The rounded corner design is said to enhance the comfort of one-handed grip.

And accept "Wired"InterviewAt the time, Panos Panay, head of Microsoft's Surface and hardware business, said that Surface Go was an attempt to decentralize the Pro series.

The reason why this is said is not only because they look very similar, but also very uniform in structure. For example, both use the same aluminum-magnesium alloy casing, the same Alcantara keyboard, and the same multi-angle adjustable hinge bracket and magnetic charging interface.

Compared to a few years ago, the Surface 3 can only be adjusted by 3 fixed angles and charged with micro-USB. This time, Go has obviously learned a lot from it. It even has a USB-C interface that is not even available in the Pro series.

There is also a stylus. Now the Go can also magnetize the pen to the side of the fuselage like Pro. I always think this is a very considerate design.

However, compared to the process structure, the configuration of Surface Go is not very eye-catching. The border width and low eMMC specifications are for the time being. On the key processing chip, it chooses the Intel Pentium Gold series 4415Y of KabyLake architecture, although it is better than Surface 3. The Atom series processor is much stronger, but it certainly can't be compared with the current Core series, and probably only meets the needs of light notebook users such as Internet access and a crow.

In addition, in order to further emphasize the "Go", that is, "the carry-on, efficient, available for anyone to use" new positioning, Microsoft will also shrink the size to 10 inches this time, the weight of the entire body can be controlled within 521g (The fifth-generation Surface Pro weighs 770g and the 2018 iPad weighs 469g), along with a Type Cover keyboard.

Interestingly, when presenting the product, Microsoft employees took out a leather bag and then pulled out the Surface Go device. This approach is reminiscent of the scene in which Jobs took out the MacBook Air from a brown paper bag, both of which wanted to emphasize the slim and portable form of the device.

Is the small size Windows tablet really unattractive?

Surface Go is not the first Windows device that Microsoft has been using for the first time. In fact, six years ago, the original Surface was equipped with a 10.6-inch screen, including the Surface Pro, Surface Pro 2 and Surface 3, and the screen sizes were only 10.6 and 10.8.

According to the plan, we could have seen one at the Microsoft conference in mid-2014.Surface mini& rdquo; 8 inch device, but it is said that before the release, this product was then CEO Satya & middot; Nadella (Satya Nadella) and vice president Stephen · Stephen Elop (" The reason for not having differentiated competitiveness was forced to be cut down, and there were rumors that the Windows RT system was too rude.

In 2015, Microsoft introduced Surface 3, which is priced at $499, as an entry-level device, but limited by processor performance and structural castration. Its reputation is not as good as the Pro series in the same period, and it only sold for one year. It was announced by Microsoft that it was discontinued.

But Panay revealed in an interview that he knows that there are still some users who have a clear upgrade requirement for Surface 3, and they will want to buy an upgraded version of Surface 4. But if you just follow the normal upgrade path, then ultimately Surface 4 will only become "another Surface Pro", which will obviously make the entire Surface product line very confusing.

So now the Surface Go, maybe based on the evolution of the mini version at the time, can also be said to be Surface 4's "repositioning". Considering the interactive nature of Windows systems, a 10-inch size is also a good choice. Today, it is the new entry-level product for the Surface line and the first Surface product from Microsoft to cost less than $400.

Of course, based on the experience of the Surface equipment I have purchased in the past, if you want to get a 100% complete experience, it is obviously not enough to buy a bare metal for $399. The keyboard mentioned above needs to be purchased separately, and it costs about $500 to add up to the full cost. This doesn't count the $99 stylus and the $30 mouse. If all are counted together, why not choose a better Surface Pro?

Maybe someone would say that Apple's iPad doesn't have to buy a keyboard and Apple Pencil alone? But the key difference is that the iPad was initially positioned as a “tablet” and the Surface Go still runs on a Windows system, which means that it still has no way to completely abandon the basics of the keyboard and mouse. Interactive tool. After all, Microsoft made SurfaceOriginal intentionI just want it to be able to do all kinds of needs as much as possible —— not only include tablets, but also PCs.

Unless you really want to think of Surface Go as a pure tablet, the experience will definitely be compromised.

There is another question, who is this low-cost device for?

At first, we all think that Microsoft wants to attract students from low prices to further deal with Google's Chromebook, which has a price of less than $500, to retain and expand its share of the education market. This is the same as Apple’s launch of a low-priced iPad this year. thing.

To a certain extent, Microsoft and Apple are actually "detailed" in decentralizing their own devices. While ensuring the basic experience, further lower the price. If the iPad is unique in that it is a pure “tablet”, then Surface is a good balance between the tablet and the PC.

However, from the perspective of Microsoft product marketing manager Urbanowicz, Surface Go is aimed at a broader, or more ambiguous, —— can be a student, a workshop worker working in the field, a doctor in a hospital, or They are financial retailers. They all have very clear needs. For example, they can't do without the Office three-piece set. They often edit, view documents and make simple drawings. These can be controlled by Microsoft.

For example, if you choose Surface Go, the IT staff in the school can use the Windows 10 Pro system for professional management, while the student party is more suitable for the lightweight Windows 10 S, which is set by Microsoft for different groups of people. System version.

Microsoft's vision is that as long as your work requires the use of Office suites, or if you have a PC that can make your work more efficient, then you are the target user of Surface.

The emergence of Surface Go will significantly reduce the threshold for these people to experience quality Windows devices.

There is also a more niche but more segmented audience, made by well-known Microsoft observers.Paul ThurrottProposed. He feels that there will be such a group of people who want a better distinction between their work and life, rather than a complete integration.

So maybe these people already have the office computers distributed by the units, but they still want to have a PC device that doesn't need to be too high, but completely private. —— although this sounds very biased, it is clear that Microsoft It feels necessary to capture the needs of this core group of people.

After all, if there are no high-quality and affordable Windows devices to choose from, these people will naturally go to the iPad camp, or put into the embrace of the ChromeBook, which Microsoft does not want to see. So as long as the Surface Go can reach a wider user base, it is always a good thing.